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Pistis Sophia · 38 of 160 · tr. George Horner

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Let them not rejoice at me, those who are enemies unto me in violence, those who hate me without a cause, and they are winking with their eyes. Because I indeed, they are wont to speak with me in words of peace, and they are [87 ] wont to think in anger in guiles. They widened their mouth upon me, and they said, Well (done) our eyes were full of sight of him. Thou sawest, O Lord. Be not silent, O Lord, withdraw not thee from me. Arise, O Lord, and give heed unto my judgment. Give heed unto my avenging, my God and my Lord. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness: let them not rejoice at me, my God, nor let them say, Well (done), our soul! Let them not say, We swallowed him (up). Let them be ashamed and be disgraced together, those who rejoice over my evil. Let them clothe them with shame with disgrace, those who say great words against me. Let them be glad and be joyful, those who wish my righteousness [88 ] and let them say, Let the Lord be great and be exalted. Let them be exalted, those who wish the peace of his servant. My tongue will be glad for thy righteousness with thy honour in all the day. These therefore having said them Iakobos, said he Jesus, Well (and) fairly (done), Iakobos: this is the explanation of the ninth repentance of the Pistis Sophia. Amen, amen I say to you, Ye will be first in unto the kingdom of the heavens before all the Invisibles with all the Gods with all the Rulers, these which become in the thirteenth Aeon and in the twelve Aeons. But ye, not ye alone, [88 ] but every one also who will do my mysteries. But these having said them, said he to them, Understand ye in what manner I am speaking with you? Sprang up again Mariham, said she, Yea, O Lord, This is that which thou saidst to us once, The last (ones) will be first, and the first (will) be last. The first (ones) therefore (are those) whom they fashioned before us, the Invisibles. Since they it is, who became before the mankind, they with the Rulers, and the men who will receive mysteries, will be first (before) them in unto the kingdom of the heavens. Said he to her Jesus, Well (done), Mariham. Added also Jesus, said he to his disciples, It happened therefore, she having uttered [89 ] the ninth repentance the Pistis Sophia, oppressed her again the power of face of lion, wishing to take away every power from her. She cried also up unto the Light, saying, O Light, whom I believed from at first, because of whom I suffered these great tribulations, help me. 49 And they accepted from her her repentance at that hour: heard her the First Mystery and they dispatched me by his command, I came to help her, I brought her up from the Chaos, because she repented, and also because that she believed the Light, she suffered these great tribulations with these great dangers, (she was deceived) by the Self-willed God, and she was not deceived by any work except [89 ] by a power of light, because of the likeness to the light which she believed. Because of this therefore they dispatched me by the command of the First Mystery for me to help her in concealment: but that I should not yet come unto the Place of the Aeons altogether.
Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

The text explicitly mentions 'twelve Aeons' and 'thirteenth Aeon' as levels of existence.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

God is addressed with human-like pronouns such as 'Lord', 'O Lord', and 'my God'.

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Archonscosmology

Malevolent planetary rulers or demiurgic powers that govern the material world and obstruct the soul's ascent.

The text describes 'enemies unto me in violence' and 'Rulers' who obstruct the righteous.

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Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

Mariham is oppressed by the 'power of face of lion' and must be helped in concealment from the Chaos.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The text contrasts light and darkness, good and evil, with those who rejoice over evil versus those who wish righteousness.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

Mariham is hidden from the Aeons and must be helped in concealment before she can ascend.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The text repeatedly references the 'Light' as a source of belief and help against deception.

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Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

Jesus commands the Lord to 'Judge me' and 'Give heed unto my avenging'.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The text describes Mariham's state of concealment from the Aeons and the need for help to rise from the Chaos.

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Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology

Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.

Salvation is linked to believing the Light and doing mysteries rather than external works alone.

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Hidden Sayingssoteriology

Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.

The passage explicitly states 'This is that which thou saidst to us once' regarding the ninth repentance.

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Inner Lightanthropology

The divine spark or luminous quality residing within the human person, potentially recognisable through introspection.

Mariham declares her belief in the Light from at first as a source of strength.

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Kingdom Withinanthropology

The claim that the divine realm is present inside the individual, accessible without external mediation.

The righteous are promised entry into the kingdom of the heavens through their faith and mysteries.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is depicted as active and responsive, commanding to 'Give heed unto my avenging'.

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Paradox As Teachingethics

Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.

The text uses the paradoxical statement 'The last (ones) will be first' to describe the order of salvation.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

Mariham cries up unto the Light and petitions for help in her suffering.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

Mariham is brought up from the Chaos by divine command to return to the divine realm.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

Mariham's repentance and belief in the Light are prerequisites for receiving help.

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Self Knowledgesoteriology

The recognition of one's own true divine nature as the primary path to liberation; 'know thyself' as soteriology.

Mariham's repentance and belief reveal her true connection to the Light despite deception.

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Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

Mariham is oppressed by a power of lion and hidden from the Aeons, indicating a state of exile from divine presence.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The text describes Mariham being brought up from the Chaos and dispatched by command to help her in concealment.

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Theosis Deificationsoteriology

The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.

Mariham is described as a servant of the Lord who will be exalted with the righteous.

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Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

Jesus dispatches a messenger by command to help Mariham in concealment from the Aeons.

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Related passages · 6 parallels
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XIII
CHAPTER XIII. 1. And Enoch went and said: 'Azâzêl, p. 40 thou shalt have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth against thee to put thee in bonds: 2. And thou shalt not have toleration nor †request† granted to thee, because of the unrig…”
Both passages depict a figure (Jesus in Passage A and Enoch in Passage B) interceding on behalf of others who have suffered or committed wrongdoing. They both involve themes of repentance, divine judgment, and the intervention of a higher power to bring about justice or forgiveness.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter XCV
XCV. Enoch's Grief: fresh Woes against the Sinners . CHAPTER XCV. 1. Oh that mine eyes were [ a cloud of ] waters That I might weep over you, And pour down my tears as a cloud †of† waters: That so I might rest from my trouble of heart! 2. †…”
Both passages express a plea for justice and deliverance from wrongdoing, with a focus on the righteous being vindicated and the sinners being punished. They share a theme of divine intervention and the ultimate triumph of righteousness over evil.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CIII
CIII. Different Destinies of the Righteous and the Sinners: fresh Objections of the Sinners . CHAPTER CIII. 1. Now, therefore, I swear to you, the righteous, by the glory of the Great and Honoured and 2 Mighty One in dominion, and by His gr…”
Both passages discuss the fate of the righteous and the wicked, emphasizing the rewards for the righteous and the punishments for the wicked. They share a theme of divine justice and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, though they come from different mystical traditions.
jewish_mysticism|The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch, Charles translation)|Chapter CIV
CIV. Assurances given to the Righteous: Admonitions to Sinners and the Falsifiers of the Words of Uprightness . CHAPTER CIV. 1. I swear unto you, that in heaven the angels remember you for good before the glory of the Great One: and your na…”
Both passages share themes of divine justice, the righteous being rewarded, and the punishment of the wicked. They also emphasize the importance of faith and the ultimate triumph of light over darkness, reflecting a common mystical insight across different traditions.
sufism|The Masnavi, Book I (Rumi)|STORY XVIb
That conqueror of hearts cut off a thousand heads, That the heads of his people might rest in peace." God's rebuke to Adam for scorning Iblis. To whomsoever God's order comes, He must smite with his sword even his own child. Fear then, an…”
Both passages explore themes of divine judgment, repentance, and the limitations of human understanding in the face of divine mysteries. They emphasize the importance of humility and the acceptance of divine will, though they come from different mystical traditions.
zoroastrianism|Avesta (Gathas)|Vahishtoishti Gatha, Yasna LIII, Section 1b
With good kings let (our champion 6 ) deliver 7 the smiter 8 (as a captive in p. 194 battle), giving peace to our dwellings, and peace to our hamlets. Let him charge 1 those deceivers, chaining death as the strongest 2 ; and swift be (the…”
Both passages express a plea for divine intervention against enemies and a desire for justice and peace. They share themes of righteousness, divine power, and the need for protection from adversaries.